Leeson Road to open for the summer

The decision follows assessment of recent data supplied by increased monitoring and also with an agreement of a series of steps that will be put in place to help ensure the safety of road users.

Since the installation of the first phase of monitoring equipment at Leeson Road data shows ongoing low-level movement in a few places around the landslip area.

However, the Isle of Wight Council is very much aware of the impact the closure of Leeson Road has had on Ventnor residents and businesses and has been working hard to achieve an approach which allows the road to open during the summer holiday period by taking steps that reduce the risk to road users down to a level the authority and Island Roads can accept.

This approach includes safety measures such as restricting access to one lane by using traffic lights and having a team on site to carry out regular visual checks to ensure the road remains safe to use. Immediate action could then be taken to close the road should movement occur. This is in conjunction with the drier summer period when the risk of landslip activity is known to reduce.

On this basis, the road will be re-opened at 10am on Wednesday (17 July) and will operate under the controls outlined above until 10pm on Sunday, 8 September.

From 9 September the road closure will allow the drilling of three 85-metre boreholes. These allow Island Roads to understand the nature of the underlying geology in the area and also allow the additional monitoring equipment to be installed deep underground.

The data gathered from these devices will add to that already being collected and will assist the aim of creating an early warning system that will be pivotal to the intended safe re-opening of Leeson Road and its longer-term management.

If the borehole work is not ready to start on 9 September, then the Leeson Road arrangement will stay in place until such time that the boreholes are ready to be drilled.

Councillor Phil Jordan, council leader, said: “As we have consistently said, it has always been our aim to restore access to Leeson Road as soon as it is safe to do so.

“While there remains consistent, if currently minor, movement, we are confident that with the measures we will be putting in place and with electronic monitoring systems now in operation, the risk posed by the prospect of further significant movement is acceptable when balanced against the need to support the Ventnor community through the busy summer season.

“It remains a key requirement to progress the next phase of monitoring which includes deep boreholes and the installation of monitoring equipment up to 85 metres below Leeson Road as this will allow the longer-term use of Leeson Road to be managed safely.”